A Note From Nathan S.: RefinedHype Nation is more than just a label, through this site I've learned a lot of our citizens are dope writers and artists in their own right. So when Alec Zisi (@A2ZAlecZisi) hit me with an idea to writer an article about how we're actually living in a golden age of lyricism for mainstream rap ever, I was all for it. Enjoy...

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Before we jump into this topic, I figured it would be best to clear the air on what I consider "real" hip-hop. A lot of people associate being "real" with being "hard". This is not the case. Real hip-hop is simply hip-hop in which the topics discussed, along with some superfluous claims, actually come from the life of the rapper telling the story. For example, when B.I.G. was on the radio telling his stories of selling drugs, those come from life experiences and would be considered real, but Rick Ross talking about selling drugs when formerly being a Correctional Officer would not.

Alright, now let's jump into this thing. First off I'll say that even in the time that many people consider hip-hop's "golden age", mainstream acts like Vanilla Ice and MC Hammer were also very successful. Some artists who clearly make songs for parties / clubs without really including depth in their music will always be successful, that's just how the industry is. They become one in the same when "real" acts are as well known and spun on the radio as much, or more than hollow club records.

Hip-hop may have reached it's rock bottom around 2006. The top selling hip-hop/rap singles were "Laffy Taffy", "Temperature", and "I'm 'n Luv (Wit a Stripper)" among others - with "When I'm Gone" being arguably the only real song to do notably well on the Billboard Hot 100. I had listened to hip-hop nonstop since 2000 (which started when I would repeat Hip-Hop Hooray from the back of my mom's car against her will), but decided to take a hiatus from the genre after growing tired of the nonsense that was pushed to the masses. 

I fell back in love with it in 2008, when I discovered underground hip-hop. After the internet made it possible to find nearly every song ever made, I chose the backpacker route and listened strictly to artists like Dilla, Brother Ali, and Gangstarr. Mainstream hip-hop music just didn't appeal to me, and I didn't plan on becoming a fan again anytime soon. Recently, however, that's begun to change

Today, it seems like the biggest names in hip-hop can actually spit.  Below is a list of (debatably) the top 6 new school mainstream artists showing their skills. Let us know in the comments if you agree.

1. The obvious example would be Kendrick Lamar. "GKMC" was considered an instant classic by many and did platinum sales, where he simply told his story of being a good kid in a mad city. He continues to drop bombs on every record, most recently being on "Control".

2. Since the release of "Pe$o" and "Purple" back in 2011, and most recently "Wild for the Night" with Skrillex, A$AP Rocky has become a household name. A$AP has his own sound, and his subject matter consists of his passions in life: whether talking about Harlem or fashion. He generally rhymes pretty well, but really impressed me with this verse off his posse-cut "1 Train".

3. Safe to say Drake has been on top of the game for a while now. Since the release of "So Far Gone" he's skyrocketed to superstardom, and doesn't show any signs of slowing down. Many criticize him for being "soft" (including Common), however I've grown to respect that he doesn't feel the need to pretend to be anything he isn't. After having him written off for a couple years, I had to take another look after hearing how hungry he was on "5AM In Toronto".

4. Odd Future frontman Tyler, The Creator blew up back in 2011 and all it took him was a cockroach. From his first album "Bastard" to now, his lyrics have shown that he's just a dude with a crazy personality who likes to fuck with his fans. While he often relies on shock value, the dude can actually rap (pretty damn well at that). Case and point - "Rusty", off of his most recent album "Wolf".

5. Macklemore literally exploded out of the underground hip-hop scene with his album "The Heist". It's actually hard to find someone who doesn't know who the guy is. He may not be my favorite rapper, but I do respect that he's always staying true to himself, with minimal to no braggadocios claims. Below is song he wrote about his addiction to lean, "Otherside".

6. J. Cole has been one of the most commercially successful artists since signing to the Roc in 2009. Through two albums and countless mixtapes, his subject matter has largely consisted of his come up/the things that come with it. While he may have let Nas down with "Workout", Cole actually raps his ass off when he wants to. Check out the final verse on "Looking for Trouble" if you disagree.